1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to spraying dispensers or spray guns, and more particularly to spray guns which produce a generally flat, fan-shaped spray pattern and which require adjustment to orient the spray pattern in the proper plane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coating processes are often accomplished using spray guns which spray a fluid coating material onto articles. These spray guns can incorporate a specially designed nozzle which provides a spray pattern adapted for the particular application. In certain coating operations, the spray patten produced by the nozzle is essentially a flat triangular pattern, in which the spray flairs outwardly in one direction and in which the spray pattern is relatively flat in the orthogonal direction, creating what is generally a two-dimensional fan-shaped spray pattern. A spray pattern such as this is useful in coating many various types of objects. For example, in the spray coating of the inside of cans, a spray gun producing this flat spray pattern is used, and the can is rotated in front of the gun to provide a smooth, even coating inside the can.
Since the spray pattern is generally two dimensional, it is important that the spray nozzle be properly adjusted so that the spray pattern is projected in the proper plane. The adjustment of the nozzle has heretofore been a tedious undertaking, requiring the operator to observe the spray pattern, turn the spray gun off, loosen the nozzle on the spray gun, attempt to adjust the orientation of the nozzle according to the spray pattern previously observed, re-secure the nozzle to the spray gun, turn the gun back on, and observe the new spray pattern. This procedure is often repeated several times before the orientation of the gun is acceptable. The spray pattern must be reset whenever different sized containers are being sprayed, and the spray pattern must be re-adjusted periodically due to wear of the nozzle and changes in the material. Furthermore, if any changes are made in the spraying process, such as removal of the gun for cleaning or maintenance, this procedure must be repeated before production can be resumed. As a result, a considerable amount of spraying processing time is wasted during adjustment of the orientation of the spray pattern.